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Monday, January 14, 2008

A snazzy fruit salad with a light cauliflower gratin...

Naturally sweet, fresh and very colorful - I think that is all I really need to say about the Citrus and Kiwifruit Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Pistachios recipe we made as a side to tonight's dinner.

The title pretty much says it all - in this clean-tasting dish are invigorating slices of vibrant green kiwifruit with segments of juicy oranges and tangy grapefruit. Like sparkling jewels, each serving is scattered with pomegranate arils just waiting to burst in your mouth with their sweet, yet tangy juice. For a unique twist, a drizzle of orange-flower water adds a tempting aromatic note without distracting you from the delicious fruit - while leaving this out wouldn't make or break the recipe, we think it is certainly worth looking for if you don't already have a bottle. Since most of the textures are smooth, though those ruby arils do have a bite to them, a few raw pistachios are the only thing needed to finish off this snazzy side with a contrasting crunch.

I know we do this a lot and I'm sure this Skillet Cauliflower Gratin would be great as a side to many recipes, but Jeff and I both were glad we decided to just split it between us for a healthy main dish.

Rather than steaming the cauliflower, the florets begin by cooking in a bath of milk until they become tender. Flour, dissolved in a little more milk, is then stirred into the skillet to thicken up the milk and create the base for a creamy sauce. A handful of sharp Cheddar cheese, some chives for a hint of onion and a dollop of Dijon bring depth and a bit of richness to the sauce. To finish off this gratin, a mixture of whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, a little more cheese and olive oil are tossed together and scattered across the cauliflower. The skillet is then placed under the broiler for just a minute to crisp up that crumb topping and add some color. Even though this dish lacks butter, we didn't seem to miss it as the cheesy sauce had enough flavor to carry the tender cauliflower without being bland.